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Rome - Walks

Rome - Walks

In the spring of 1819, the Shelleys left Naples and returned to Rome, where they immediately plunged into a vigorous round of sightseeing.

Shelley had several favorite walks in Rome. One regular visit was the Quirinal gardens, which now serve as the Presidential Palace. We were able to get only external shots since the gardens are currently open to the public only once a year in early July.

The Baths of Caracalla were also a regular walk—perhaps Shelley's favorite in Rome.

It formed the background for Joseph Severn's painting, "Shelley in the Baths of Caracalla."

Near the Baths was the Circus Maximus; the building on the far side of the Circus is the Emperor's Palace, and beyond the Palace is the Forum.

The Cenci building still stands,

as does the Pantheon,

the Coliseum and the Arch of Constantine,

the celebrated fountains at Trevi,

the Forum,

the Gardens above the Spanish Steps,

and Keats’s last residence: the pink building shown below to the right of the Spanish Steps. Keats lived in the corner room on what Americans would call the third floor, Europeans the second.

The building now houses the Keats-Shelley Society. A good contact at the Keats house is the administrator, Catherine Payling (email: cpayling@tin.it).